Well dear readers, I am back again this week to wrap up my April blog series Confessions of a Fashion Blogger [frowny face :( ]. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed brainstorming, writing, and sharing all of these topics with you these past three weeks!!! And lest I forget all of the great comments for each post.I loved hearing feedback from everyone about their struggles, how they related to the post, and how they overcome some of the struggles we all face.

Like I had mentioned in the posts, this week I will focus on the key points from each post, what I loved most about it, as well as share a few of my favorite comments........so without further ado let's get started!

The truth is that there is no differentiation between fashion bloggers and everyone else, we are still just ordinary people. Just because we might always look nice wherever we go; have our hair fixed, makeup done, and wear a smashing ensemble, does not mean that we are "Perfect." We still wake up most days and feel completely unmotivated.

Whenever I am feeling unmotivated, all I have to do is read all of the fabulous and sweet comments from you lovelies each week and I immediately feel motivated to breath, take a break, and come back with a fresh mindset.

"In the end, being a fashion blogger is not always about appearing put together. It is about being transparent for your readers, letting them in, and sharing who you are, your struggles, and what inspires you."

I relate. Most of the time when I take outfit photos it has to be because I really like my outfit. There are still days when I have "meh" outfits or Monday outfits (you know, the kind that take fifteen minutes to throw together), and most of those don't make it onto the blog. Or there are days when I am thwarted by weather or lighting!I've found that starting a post whenever I think of an idea and getting it typed asap, even if it isn't done, helps me a lot later when I'm in a time crunch or drawing a blank. Then I have a bunch of starts that I can just finish out. I also keep a GIANT library of my photos to draw from when I can't get out to take a picture for something.

I definitely struggle with motivation on my blog....I feel like it's all the time!! I usually keep myself motivated by trying to do some sort of monthly series on one of my post days then at least I will always have a general idea of what to write about once a week for an entire month. Many times, while I'm writing those posts an idea will spring into my head for some other sort of post that would fit in to one of the other days of the week!

Somedays, my sisters and I just have to take a break when we've scheduled a photo shoot, especially if we just plum don't have the energy to do it. One thing that we have learned from singing is that if you try and force something (like a practice, or a photo shoot), it typically comes out... forced (i.e- not of the greatest quality). Sometimes taking a step back and letting your mind think on other things than blogging has really helped me in the past (and not just with blogging... I do that on most things that I'm stressed about :)

Anyhow, how do I keep motivated? Through lots of rest & sweet comments on the blog, and knowing that our girls' blog is making an impact out there on the web :)

I don't always dress up....Some days I want to wear pajamas around the house and comfy regular clothes out and about :o

Why do I dress this way or put in the effort to diligently picking what I wear (which is totally out of the ordinary)?......I dress this way because it is ME!

So the truth of the matter is this....while some days I might not feel up to picking out an ensemble I choose to take the extra time to look nice because that is what makes me feel confident. Not that I struggle with confidence because I know my confidence and worth is found in Christ, but rather confidence to seize the day as ME and not some other girl!

I want to be the best version of myself every day when I step out the door, so taking the time and effort to put something decent together is totally worth the time!

I wear pajamas a lot lol but that's because I don't work much currently, I'm always at home. I have very few occasions to dress up for. I never wear pajamas outside of the house though, that just irks me. I've seen teens going to school in their pajamas a lot lately. They look like slobs. High school is supposed to be a primer for the workforce or a post-secondary education. I honestly don't understand why these kids are allowed to get away with looking like this (yet they do get yelled at for bra straps showing, so what gives?!). I like to dress up when I'm going out sometimes but it depends on what I'm doing. If I'm running errands I don't even bother with makeup, I just go out in leggings and a tunic sweater. If I'm meeting someone, like the other day when my friend came in from Toronto, I get all decked out. I also do that for dates with my fiance. It's nice to dress up once and awhile and feel special. If I could do it every day that would be cool but it's too high maintenance for me lol. I have a lot of hand wash items and it just gets tedious to do the cleaning if I wear too many of them in one week.

This post speaks to me on so many levels. Seriously.Some days I just do not feel like getting dressed up, and other days I ask myself "Why do I even do this?". But much like yourself, I do it for me! I do it so that I'm not just another face on the street. But there isn't anything wrong with yoga pants, a messy bun, and a tshirt on occasion. ;)

I feel like you live inside my brain! I can't tell you how many times I've gotten up on a Saturday morning and put on nicer clothes to go run errands, and my husband, whose daily "uniform" is a hoodie/t-shirt and cargo shorts, looks at me and says "what are you so dressed up for?" I guess I've just always felt the need to present myself as best as I can, and I want my clothes to match my personality - I'm not a lazy slob, so I don't want to dress like one. Although I have to admit, as soon as I get home from work, I have the habit of throwing on a t-shirt and yoga pants to cook dinner and relax for the rest of the night.

People are just so casual about EVERYTHING now and especially in the way they dress. Don't you think? Most people usually look like they've just rolled out of bed, or just got done working out at the gym - ugh! Back in the day people put such thought & effort into the way they dress. It was (& still is to me) a sign of respect to look put together. My mom told me she remembers her mom wearing housedresses working around home & then would always change into something nicer to run to downtown for anything! There were no people parading around the grocery store in pajamas then! (They probably would've thought you'd escaped from a sanatorium if you did.) I totally get what you're saying about comfy clothes too. Sometimes you just want to wear something comfortable! I would heartily recommend housedresses. They are soooo comfy & still pretty for chores around the house.

When it comes to fashion, that is really just a general term used to describe the type of clothes we wear, for everyone wears fashions. However, when we dive deeper into the topic of fashion we find that there is another word needed when talking about how we dress and who we are…..that word is style.

When we think about it more, each of us has our own unique style. Through style, we are given the freedom to create and be who we are!

There are so many days that I look in my closet and want to grab at my hipster stash or throw on a little something boho, but then I pull back and stick with vintage because that is what I feel confident in!

I think my styles vary between vintage and casual/preppy. I think i generally fall back on the preppy style because my skirts and dresses have a more vintage feel and I usually just get up and put on a pair of jeans first thing.

I definitely am more than one style personality. As much as I love authentic vintage, on a day to day basis most of the time I wear pretty modern stuff, though my absolute favorite outfits involve 1/2 circle skirts and t-shirts. So, you could say I am a mix of modern and vintage. :)

The statement "I have nothing to wear" is literally not true, but figuratively it applies to our life every time we look at our closet blankly and seem to see empty hangers.

Yes I am a fashion blogger, yes I love fashion, yes I have tons of clothes, but sometimes I feel like I plum just don't have anything to wear.

The fact is that we always have something to wear, weather we see it or not. When we feel creatively blocked we just need to take a step back, breath, reassess the situation, and go with something simple.

Over thinking an ensemble just makes us feel even more blocked so on days when you are feeling creatively uninspired choose something simple and make it easy on those days.

I'm not to the point where I can look in my closet and pull something out, I'm not sure anyone is! Some people have insisted it's because of your colors (color me beautiful, specifically) I'm finding this to be true. But I also think it has a good deal to do with my having too many stand alone pieces. They only go with one thing, that doesn't work well. I'm working to weed out those items I just don't like anymore, don't fit (I lost 30lbs over the course of last year), I just don't like anymore, etc. I find that putting my goodwill bag in my room and leaving it full for about two weeks works well, that way if I regret putting something in, I'll pull it out. But if it sits there for two weeks-byebye!

My stars, what an incredible wardrobe and closet you have. My own closet is, I kid you not, slightly bigger than a matchbox, and while I do store some items, like hats and gloves elsewhere, it means I have to be ruthless with what I keep and what I bring in. Like everyone, I do have those "nothing to wear" days though, but find that one way to help counterbalance them is to set aside a day every now and then and play dress up in my own closet. Planning out new outfits for the future that I'll have ready to go (photos help there big time) at a moment's notice. This way old favourites can meet new acquisitions, less frequently sported pieces can see the light of day, and anything that's ready to get the boot can do just that.

This post is so fun! Not only do you have a beautifully decorated closet/room, but I related with this so much! I too have had the closet dilemma. And yes, I probably have too many clothes. On days like that I usually go with a simple go-to look like my chambray dress or something. :)

Well all of you lovely readers, that is the Finally of the April series! I hope you enjoyed the post each week? I know I enjoyed writing them and hearing from each of you.:)

Hello all of you lovely readers, I hope your week has been splendid so far! Well, this week is the next to the last week of my April blog series Confessions of a Fashion Blogger and I have so loved writing these posts each week and I hope you wonderful people have enjoyed them!

This week I decided to talk about the struggle I face when I "just don't have anything to wear!"

I know everyone of you has struggled with this dilemma...we might be packing for a trip and totally not have enough room for what we want to pack, but then when we try to get dressed in the morning our closet becomes completely empty and we think that we have nothing to wear!

I thought that today instead of sharing an outfit I would take you on a little tour of my closet...well, really my room :) You see, up until about four years ago my sister and I shared a room and a closet (I seriously don't know how that worked). However, four years ago I got a room in the garage. Yes, the garage. We added two walls in our garage and made a doorway through the laundry room (it is kind of a secret entrance). Anyways, my room isn't the biggest, it is fairly long but narrow so pretty much every inch of space is used and because of that my room is basically my closet but that is pretty great!

Before I go into the whole dilemma about not having anything to wear (which is clearly not true) lets take a quick tour of my closet:)

So in my room I have one double rack instillation and two racks that I have bought (as I have needed more space over the years). The above picture is a snapshot of some the dresses on my dress rack (which just might be sagging from the weight). My dresses are mostly organized by season/color and as you can see are a wide variety of homemade, vintage, and thrifted.

These are all of my skirts. All a mixture of winter, fall, spring, and summer.

Here are my sweaters. They are usually organized by color, but I have gotten a bit lazy when hanging them back up.

Oh, and this is my blogger hat wall:) Yes, most bloggers have that stereotypical wall on which they hang hats, purses, or clothing...that is just who we are.

This is an inspiration board I have had for awhile...really it just makes me happy :)

Oh, and what is my closet with out my fabulous retro styled Captain America poster. Yes, I am a geek!

Okay, but enough with giving you a peek into my closet, lets talk about the struggles of not having anything to wear shall we! First off, that statement "I have nothing to wear" is literally not true, but figuratively it applies to our life every time we look at our closet blankly and seem to see empty hangers. Now, my mom would protest that I have to much clothes and need to get rid of some (which is partially true) but I love fashion and I love vintage so my closet is like my collection. I am sure that is the same for you? However, that is not to say that out of all the wazoo of clothes I posses there are still so many times that I look at my closet and cannot feasibly find anything to wear (or anything that looks good or appeals to me) and of course many times when this happens I think "Oh my gosh, I need to go shopping."

However, that is the truth of the matter. Yes I am a fashion blogger, yes I love fashion, yes I have tons of clothes, but sometimes I feel like I plum just don't have anything to wear. Maybe I can picture you right now nodding your head in agreement saying "That is so right," or maybe you have never found yourself in this dilemma (if not, trust me a day will come).

Sitting here writing this post is really making me think about how I handle these day and honestly I don't even know what I do! I think that most days my room ends up appearing to have had a tornado sweep through as I decided to try on half my wardrobe? There is a huge possibility that I go through multiple ensembles before settling on something I feel is slightly decent. However, while at college I have about 1/4th of my closet with me so I would say getting dressed each day is strangely both easier and more challenging. I have seriously had to learn and live off of 5 skirts, 3 dresses, 3 pants, multiple tops both solid and printed, and sweaters/cardigans (but that has been good).

The fact is that we always have something to wear, weather we see it or not. When we feel creatively blocked we just need to take a step back, breath, reassess the situation, and go with something simple.

Over thinking an ensemble just makes us feel blocked so make it easy on those days.

Well, that is about all I have to say on the issue today, however I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject! Remember to check in next week for the final post of the series where I will give a recap on the series as well as share some of my favorite comments along the way :)

How are all you lovely readers! This week you will be getting an extra post just like last week because this weekend was wonderful:)

For those of you who follow me on Instagram you would have probably seen a few posts over the last couple of weeks talking about learning a tap dance. This Friday was the performance and boy was it such a wonderful experience and fun evening!

I was contacted over a month ago and asked if I would be interested in performing a dance to the Andrews Sisters hit song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" during a style show for a vintage car club at their 62nd Annual Texas Tour. Of course I had to say yes, how could I not!!! The organization is a vintage car club (for people who have vintage cars of course) and each year they travel all over the state (in their fabulous cars) on "Texas Tours".... visiting country homes, antique shopping, and getting exclusive axcess to some pretty amazing car collections. I seriously want to own an old car right now just so I can travel with them:) However, while I do not own a vintage car (yet..hehe) I did find some dream cars!!

Um, a pink Cadillac..."YES PLEASE!!!" (supposedly it was actually peach, but I cannot tell the difference) This has definitely always been my dream car!!

Oh, and Elvise was in the back seat:)

This car was pretty great too. I especially loved the back tail lights and the dainty little fins so prominent on old cars from the 1950's:)

I was so honored to be a part of this event! To be surrounded by so many people seeking to keep history and the old days alive and running with their wonderful cars is definitely something to smile about. Like I stated above, my tap dance was part of the style show, which was pretty much a fashion show going from the early 1900's to 1980's. There were so many amazing dresses to inspire me, many of which were originals!! My two favorites were an original 1920's black lace and ruffle flapper dress and an original 1930's sunflower yellow cut on the bias evening gown (so spectacular).

My tap dance came during the 1940's portion of the style show and boy did I feel like I had truly entered the 1940's, especially when I look at the picture above:) In the 1940's section of the show we also had a young many dressed in his grandfathers Navy uniform, a Peratruper, and wonderful 98 year old lady dressed as Rosie the Riviter (seriously the cutes Rosie EVER).

I am so glad I was able to participate in this event and hopefully I will be a part of more in the future:)

Hello to all of you lovely readers, I hope your week has been going wonderfully so far :) Today is the day for my next installment post of my new series...YAY!!! Last week I talked about Motivation and I loved hearing what you all had to say about what motivates you (thanks for your comments). This week I will be tackling a new topic which I chose to call "The Pajama Problem" (don't ask me why, hehe).

Do you ever have those days where you wake up, hop out of bed (or drowsily swing your feet to the floor), walk to your closet and then confidently decided....."I am wearing Pajamas today :) " (I mentioned that last week). Okay, so for clarification, I do not wear pajamas on a daily basis (honestly). I would never drrreeeaaammm of wearing pajamas in public, but I must say that on days where I have nothing much to do, or do not have to go anywhere, pajamas (well, mostly a tshirt and yoga pants) are my getup for around the house (or dorm).

However, my post today is not really talking about my habit of wearing comfy clothes on lazy days, rather, I want to discuss the problem of WHY I dress up or more so, why I put in the effort every day to pick out and ensemble, do my hair, makeup, etc. Why do I choose to dress the way I do?

Skirt: MADE; Shirt: hand me down; Belt: Thrifted (80's)

First things first, honest blogger to blogger confessional, some days I honestly do not feel like dressing "cute" or nice....."Really? What a shocker!!" :) Maybe you have those days too? Now, this is not to say that I hate dressing up or picking out what I am going to wear, but some days I know there is an easier option of throwing on a somewhat nice shirt, grabbing a pair of jeans or a skirt, lacing up my sneakers and heading out the door to class like all of the other college students. But I guess that is just it....I am not like all the "other" college students or other people for that matter! I have always seemed to base the way I live on being "different", not being just another person on the street. Truly, choosing to live or dress this way may take more effort, but it is effort I am willing to exert because I know that when I walk out the door I will be the best version of myself (not fakes, no hiding) !!!

Now, to tell you the truth, I ask myself this most every week..."Why do I dress this way or put in the effort to diligently picking what I wear (which is totally out of the ordinary)"......but then as soon as I ask myself this question a small quiet voice, deep within my head, whispers "You dress this way because it is YOU"....sweet, simple, to the point! But really, as strange as this may sound, I feel like when I choose to wear jeans and a tshirt or just a comfy skirt and shirt that I am letting people down (yes, I know, so weird and strange and bizarre....I am weird).

Strange, I know. I mean, its not like I live for peoples praise or for people to notice me, it is just that wherever I go I always want to be the best version of myself and I feel that when I just grab what is easy I am first, not being true to myself and second, not allowing myself to be confident as the "real me." Do you ever feel this way?

I guess sometimes it is the risk you take in dressing the way we do. Sometimes the way we dress is bold and most often that causes us to get noticed (in a good way).

I can't help but think of the quote by Harry Winston which says:

"People will stare. Make it worth their while."

This is totally true, and maybe that is another reason I choose to take the time and put together a nice ensemble? By that I am meaning to say that choosing to dress the way I do is choosing to say "This is me, this is who I am and I am okay with it...I LOVE who I am." I have always wanted to be a person that at a glance people could tell who I was, what I stood for, what I loved. That is probably why I love to dress up...sometimes overdressing but better safe than sorry:)

So the truth of the matter is this....while some days I might not feel up to picking out an ensemble I choose to take the extra time to look nice because that is what makes me feel confident. Not that I struggle with confidence because I know my confidence and worth is found in Christ, but rather confidence to seize the day as ME and not some other girl!

Maybe I am the only one to confess this....maybe it is because I am an artist....or old fashioned....or weird.....or over think my reasoning's.....or maybe that is just me??? Whatever the real reason for the matter, this is how I have chosen to live and why I love (usually) to get up every morning and fan through my closet choosing what I should wear for the day:)

Yes, choosing to wear a tshirt and jeans would be the easy choice and the popular fashion around campus, but that is just not me, so I keep wearing what I do because I love it!

Well, have you had enough of my Confessional??

Okay, so enough with my series post and on to a short bit about what I wore yesterday:) First, for one thing I forgot to lay my outfit out the night before so it was a matter of shuffling around in the dark with a flashlight, trying to grab my clothes (which thankfully I planned out in my head when I realized I hadn't lain them out). For some odd reason this spring has made me push the envelope in my combination choices (for me that is). I have been wearing a lot of print on print lately and yesterday I chose to wear Complementary Colors (pretty sure, but I should know that after making a color wheel for class). Honestly, I would probably never pair orange and purple together but this seemed to work! My ensemble was pretty 1950's, what with the polka dot skirt, thick white belt, loafers, and poof in my hair. Oh, while we are on the subject of hair, I have been watching a LOT of YouTube hair tutorials this week preparing for a spring formal this Friday which I volunteered to do two of my friends hair for:) On that note, I have been inspired to add a teased poof into my hairstyles and found that it is easier than I thought and a good addition.

My experiments with poofs and updo's !

Well dear readers, that is all for this weeks installment of Confessions of a Fashion Blogger! I hope you enjoyed what I had to say. Leave me a comment with your thoughts on the subject, I so love to hear what you all think. I am actually thinking about making the last week of this series a "Tips" post using things I have learned and comments you have left so keep that in mind :)

Until next week!!

Carpe Diem

(seize the day)

Do you ever struggle with just wanting to wear comfortable and easy clothes?

Well dear readers, I hope you all had a fabulous Easter and celebration of all that Christ has sacrificed for us!! As a special treat, you get to have an extra post from me this week! In honor of the Easter weekend, here are some pictures that I captured yesterday:)

Easter is about celebrating and remembering Christ's death on the cross and resurrection.....but it is also a time for enjoying family, playing the annual baseball game, hunting eggs (you are never to old to hunt eggs) and eating to much candy (well, for my family at least). Here's to bags of candy and sugar comas!!

When Easter Sunday is wet....you wear old sneakers!!

Since it was Easter I had fun curling my hair quite 50's style. Unfortunately, due to the weather, by the time I took this picture it had fallen quite a bit, but it was fabulous while it lasted. Oh, and what is Easter without confetti in your hair!!:)

Furthermore, how could I forget my Easter dress!!! While I would have loved to take even more pictures in this dress, especially with the shoes, sweater, and jewelry I wore with it to church, a full post on the dress will have to wait for a later date. Due to the weather, I quickly changed this dress into a slightly more casual ensemble (shown in the pictures), but it was still Easterie/Eastery [just made it up] :)

Dress: eShakti

This was my first eShakti dress and it arrived just in time for Easter! I was so happy to wear this as the colors were perfect and I loved the style!

And of course....with all of the candy you are prone to being a little silly:):)

About Me

Hello all! My name is Madison and welcome to Minnie Muse, a vintage inspired fashion and lifestyle blog. I am an old fashioned Texas girl and INFJ who loves coffee, thrifting, all things old fashioned, and cats (especially). On the blog you will find me capturing life's moments, going on adventures and sharing my personality through fashion and words. Welcome to this grand adventure; I hope you stick around for the journey!

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DISCLAIMER

If I have received an item or piece from a brand or company I will note the collaboration and give my honest opinion. Also, when linking to various products I will sometimes use affiliate links. This just means that if you click on a link or make a purchase through one I could receive a few cents from the purchase or click. Thank you for supporting Minnie Muse & what I love!